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Johnny Nelson struggles to separate Carl Froch and Lucian Bute

Johnny Nelson admits he is struggling to split Carl Froch and Lucian Bute ahead of tonight’s mouth-watering clash between the pair.

The former WBO cruiserweight champion has also likened the eagerly anticipated fight at Nottingham’s Captial FM Arena to the fierce battles between Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn in the 1990s.

“I just can’t split them to be honest,” Nelson told Lincboxing. “Last time I saw a fight as genuinely close as this was Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn. We all know what great fights they turned out to be.

“I can’t call it and few pundits can.”

Canadian Bute, who has won all 30 of his professional fights to date, goes into the 10th defence of his IBF super-middleweight title edging the betting.

But Nottingham’s Froch, who has won 28 of his 30 bouts with two losses, is determined to become a three-time world champion.

Ready to rumble: Carl Froch (left) and Lucian Bute

A disappointing defeat last time out against American Andre Ward is a performance the 34-year-old is hoping to bounce back from in front of his own fans.

Sky Sports pundit Nelson, who held the WBO strap for more than seven years before injuries forced him to hang up his gloves, added: “It’s a massive fight – especially for Carl Froch in my opinion.

“With Carl, what you see is what you get. He is like a caveman and he loves to scrap.

“But I don’t think he can be drawn in to a brawl against someone as powerful as Lucian Bute.

“He needs to dominate and we will have to wait and see whether he can do that or not.

“I have seen them both in the gym this week and they are both in brilliant shape.

“It is a case of Froch’s experience against the power of Bute. I would say Bute is the favourite but I’m not sure he has come up against the elite boxers of this division.

“Froch will take him somewhere he has never been before and how Bute reacts to that is what is so interesting.